The Houston Glass Club has announced its 43rd Annual Vintage Glass and Antique Show and Sale. The show begins on Friday, Aug. 18, from 2-7 p.m., and two full days of shopping on Saturday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be held at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in Rosenberg.

Every country has its own glass making history, and the United States is no exception. The most collected items are those made during the first half of the 20th century from such companies as Cambridge, Fostoria, Heisey, Tiffin, and Hocking. The color, shapes, sizes, and unique items from glass are what attract buyers and collectors from across the country and the globe.

Admission is $10 for Friday early shopping and is good for all three days of the show. Saturday and Sunday admissions are $6. Food concessions by Custom Caterer are available onsite. Free parking is available and all buildings are air-conditioned. For more information, call 281-240-0382 or visit houstonglassclub.org.

Children from all over are invited to attend summer camps in Cross Creek Ranch. The camps range from comics to robotics.

CROSS CREEK RANCH SPOTLIGHTS SUMMERCAMP FUN

Cross Creek Ranch will focus on fun this summer with several themed summer camps for children ages 5-14. Registration has opened for the June and July camps, which will have children cooking, making comic books, building robots and blasting off into space. All camps will be held at Cross Creek Ranch’s community center, 6450 Cross Creek Bend Lane. Creative kids can spend their summer vacations doing something a little different with the support of Idea Lab. The company is offering a “Chef Academy: Food Truck Concepts” camp, July 26-30, for children ages 7-12. Camp is 1-4 p.m. and cost $175 per child. To register visit, katyidealabkids.com. Finally, “Little Builders” ages 5-7 can create boats, cars and planes July 31-Aug.4. Sessions are from noon-5 p.m. Space camp is $275 per child. Little Builder is $195. Participants can register at nuttyscientists.com/fortbend/blog/events/cross-creek-ranch-summer-camps. Cross Creek Ranch hosts a number of activities and events throughout the year. The 3,200-acre master-planned community is located west of the Grand Parkway off FM 1093 and offers patio, executive and luxury homes priced from the $220,000s. For more information, visit crosscreekranchtexas.com.

Fall in love with the latest trends in home design at the all new Fall Katy Home and Garden Show, on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m and Sunday, Sept. 10 from11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Merrell Center & Robinson Pavilion, 6301 S. Stadium Ln.

The event will feature a brand-new Vintage Market and Kitchen & Bath Idea Center. Discover two buildings packed with endless inspiration, including more than 200 industry experts specializing in landscape, lighting, flooring, paint, home automation and more. Meet Vintage DIY expert Melissa Cervantes, the mastermind behind Dumpster Diva Designs, who has become a hometown celebrity by turning trash into treasure. Harold Kelly from Mélange Catering will provide football and fall entertaining tips and how-to’s on the Home Design Stage. Plus, Brookwood Community will be on hand hosting a Fall Plant Sale. Get inspired and ready to renovate and decorate.

Tickets are $7 for adults; $6 for seniors; $3 with a military ID. Kids 12 and under are free. Parking is free.

A Broadway star is among the cast of talented actors who will take center stage at the Miller Outdoor Theatre this year for the 43rd season of the Houston Shakespeare Festival (HSF). Dylan Paul, a graduate of the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance, is making his HSF debut in both productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III. Paul recently completed a run of the Broadway revival of “Cabaret” and has appeared in various Shakespeare festivals across the country. Jack Young, HSF artistic director, will direct Paul in Twelfth Night.

The event, produced by the UH School of Theatre and Dance, is free and open to the public. Perfor­mances run July 28-Aug. 6 at Hermann Park’s Miller Outdoor Theatre (6000 Hermann Park Dr.). All shows begin at 8:15 p.m. The performance schedule is: Twelfth Night – July 28, 30; Aug. 1, 3, 5; and Richard III – July 29, Aug. 2, 4, 6.

The Houston Shakespeare Festival was founded in 1975 by Sidney Berger. Since its inception, the festival has entertained more than a million Houstonians and attracted national theater talents. Visit milleroutdoortheatre.com for more information.

Kick off the new school year among friends new and old, all while helping Katy’s homeless and students in need. Bring school supplies, backpacks and monetary donations in support of the fourth annual Katy Summer Tailgate benefiting YMCA Operation Backpack on Saturday, Aug. 12 from 4 to 10 p.m. at No Label Brewery, 5351 1st St. in Katy. Entry is free with the donation of a backpack and/or school supplies.

Sponsored by Matt Schomburg State Farm and No Label Brewery, the event’s mission is to insure all Katy ISD students start the year off with the school supplies they need. The event will feature live local music, cold beer, food trucks, market vendors and a Fun Zone for kids and kids at heart. The $75 VIP Bar Experience includes 2 free beer tickets, access to private bar, exclusive beer selection, covered seating, private restrooms and SWAG bag. Limited VIP tickets available so buy yours today at katysummertailgate.org. Visit the website for information on volunteering and sponsorships.

Meet with Texas Master Gardeners on Aug. 12, from 9-11 a.m. for “Backyard Garden Insects in Katy” to learn about the role insects such as butterflies, bees, hunters and pests play in your garden.

The event will feature displays, live specimens, plant suggestions, activities and Entomology presenters to show, tell and teach. The two-hour program is at the pavilion at Willow Fork Park, located at the northwest corner of 99/Grand Parkway and Cinco Ranch Blvd., north of Cinco Ranch High School. This is a family-friendly program for all ages.

InHOUSTON-KATY PROFESSIONAL PREMIER BUSINESS NETWORK MIXER, SECOND TUESDAY

InHouston-Katy Professional Premier Business Network mixers are held the second Tuesday of the month from 4-7 p.m. at Trios Latin Grill, 21810 Kingsland Blvd. A large number of business owners, investors, realtors, executives, marketing professionals, individuals and others attend this event for business professional mixing and social networking. The event is free, and there are drink specials. For more information, call 281-392-3034.

Natalie Lancaster is Regional Leader for Modern Widows Club Houston, a nonprofit providing mentoring, leadership and empowerment to widows of all ages, faiths and backgrounds. photo – Natalie Lancaster

MODERN WIDOWS CLUB MEETING, AUG. 16

The nonprofit Modern Widows Club (MWC) has announced the opening of a new chapter serving women in the Northwest Houston and Katy areas. This brings the number of chapters in the Houston area to three, with one in central Houston and another in The Woodlands. Modern Widows Club Houston celebrates its three-year anniversary, having been founded here in 2014.

MWC Houston is part of a national organization which provides widow mentoring, leadership and empowerment through member services, active social media sites and an inspirational blog. The organization aspires to be a bridge of understanding, comfort, compassion and positive change between a widow and her community and is non-denominational.

The Northwest Houston/Katy chapter of MWC will meet the third Wednesday of every month at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 15015 Memorial Dr. near Eldridge Road at 6:30 p.m. Women of all ages, faiths and backgrounds are invited to attend.

“Modern Widows Club serves to empower widows to lean into life, build resilience and make a positive difference in society,” says Natalie Lancaster, regional leader over the Houston chapters of Modern Widows Club. “We welcome women of diverse backgrounds and beliefs into our organization. It’s not a grief counseling group, but women find comfort and solace in sharing their stories with others, in building fellowship and even in job networking.”

Visit modernwidowsclub.com and click the “Chap­ters” tab or email natalie@modernwidowsclub.com for more information.

Fort Bend County Libraries’ Cinco Ranch Branch Library, 2620 Commercial Center Blvd in Katy, presents a variety of free children’s programs, adult computer classes, book clubs, and special programs for people of all ages each month. All programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call the Cinco Ranch Branch Library at 281-395-1311. The August schedule is as follows:

“Personal Finance Education” – Saturday, Aug. 5, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Multi-purpose Room. Kimmy Le, Executive Vice Chairman of the Houston office of World Financial Group/Transamerica, will talk about ways to increase cash flow and savings. She will also discuss debt management. Get tips on ways to pay off debt slowly but surely the right way.

“Mastering the College-Application Essay” – Saturday, Aug. 5, 2-3 p.m., Meeting Room. Dr. Jill Martiniuk, a university professor and college consultant, will talk about how to complete a college-application essay that will reflect the student’s achievements and make their submission truly stand out. Hear about different approaches, expectations from the university, and common mistakes to avoid.

Star-Lord, Gamora, and Yondu are coming to the Children’s Museum of Houston for a Guardians’ fan celebration and to kick-start the wonders of the “Sci-Fi Summer.”

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON PRESENTS SCI-FI SUMMER, THROUGHLABOR DAY

The Children’s Museum of Houston’s “Sci-Fi Summer” will take you to infinity and beyond! From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, you’re invited to take off on an out-of-this world adventure where imagination and reality collide. Explore the endless possibilities of time, space and mind-boggling discoveries where there are no limits to where you’re going, even if it means doing it all over again. The future is what you make of it now. Teleport to your own “Sci-Fi Summer” adventure and imagine what you’ll know tomorrow. It’s a “Sci-Fi Summer” at the Children’s Museum of Houston.

Some of the advetures kids will encounter include the following:

Experience a close encounter of a rockin’ kind. Travel through intergalactic wormholes and dimensions during an action-packed live production of “The Galactic Journey,” showing daily.

Join a galaxy ranger team and protect Space Port from 3-D asteroids by launching sticky balls.

Be in for a shock as you build robots in a Robotics Lab. Then, put them to the test in a Battle Bot Arena.

Make a transport interchange at the Museum’s all-new “Coding Hangout” exhibit where you create code to bring your imaginings to life – it does compute!

Go in search of E.O. (extraordinary) characters.

Unlock your curiosity and tap into S.E.C.R.E.T. discoveries by going on undercover missions.

Cross interstellar galaxies and beam into infinity using an Infinity Mirror. Then freeze time by capturing the moment with a selfie.

“The Galactic Journey” Live Musical Production (showing daily).

For more information and a full schedule, visit cmhouston.org or call 713-522-1138.

TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL JET BAND MARCH-A-THON AND FOOD TRUCK FEST,AUG. 19, 25

The Taylor High School JETBand is gearing up for another exciting year of music, competition and fun by holding its eighth Annual March-A-Thon on Saturday, Aug. 19. On the agenda are new routes at each of the Elementary Schools feeding into Taylor. Visit jetband.org for routes, donation forms and concert information.

Also, upcoming is the JETBand Community Food Truck Fest scheduled for Friday, Aug. 25 from 5-8 p.m. at Taylor High School Football Field, 20700 Kingsland Blvd. Join the band for food, fun and friendship. The JETBand will perform and food trucks will be available in the adjacent parking lot. Bring your lawn chair. The event will feature the following food trucks: The Waffle Bus, Pocket to Me, Happy Hour, Coreanos, Sticky’s Chicken, Orleans Seafood Kitchen, Journey Ice and Mooseum Ice Cream.

This interactive program available at the exhibition invites you to consider different opinions about some of the issues surrounding genomic technologies and how they relate to your life.

GENOME: UNLOCKING LIFE’S CODE AT THE HEALTH MUSEUM, THROUGHSEPT. 11

The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science is offering Houstonians a glimpse at the 0.5 percent variation in human genetics and its impact on human health in its new traveling exhibition Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code. The new exhibition will reveal the mystery behind DNA and how it connects to every living thing; encourage visitors to better understand the human genome; and provide a new way to think about ourselves as individuals, as members of a family; and as part of the diversity of life on Earth.

The exhibition – which is on display through Sept. 11 – is organized around three content areas: The Genome Within Us; Your Genome, Your Health; and Connections: Natural World and Genomic Journey.

Genome was developed and produced by the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and the National Institutes for Health’s National Human Genome Research Institute in association with Science North.

Access to Genome is included with the price of admission at The Health Museum, 1515 Hermann Drive. Visit thehealthmuseum.org/exhibit/genome or call 713-521-1515 for more information.

The Cinco Ranch Ladies Club (CRLC) will hold its Annual Open Membership on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. It’s the one time of year the club is open to ladies from Katy and surrounding cities to visit the sub-club tables under one roof.

The CRLC provides residents with activities both social and charitable. RSVP on Facebook to this free event. Enjoy friendship, light bites, prizes and drinks.

Old Town Katy Market Days has been steadily growing since it was established in 2001. Each month features local produce, free range eggs, local honey and organic, beef, chicken and lamb all raised locally. Farmers are encouraged to bring extra produce to sell to the community. Market Days is held every third Saturday of each month between 2nd Street and Avenue B. Regular booth space is $30. To book a space, call 281-391-1993.